Safe-sex message for young drinkers

AROUND 3,000 condoms have been sent to pubs and clubs in Oldham to get a festive safe-sex message across to teenage drinkers. The packaging features messages including "If you have sex, use a condom" as part of a campaign telling youngsters "not to be a pudding" at Christmas.

AROUND 3,000 condoms have been sent to pubs and clubs in Oldham to get a festive safe-sex message across to teenage drinkers.

The packaging features messages including "If you have sex, use a condom" as part of a campaign telling youngsters "not to be a pudding" at Christmas.

Sgt Gary Wheelhouse from Oldham Police, one of the groups the campaign, said: "People can find themselves in vulnerable situations by drinking too much at Christmas.

"We didn't want to spoil people's fun, but we hoped it would help people enjoy the festive period safely."

The campaign is part of Oldham's Street Safe initiative, which aims to reduce alcohol-related disorder in the town centre.

Posters

It is backed by licensees, Oldham council, the police, the Town Centre Partnership and Oldham Drugs and Alcohol Action Team.

Pub and club staff have been wearing tee-shirts bearing the Street Safe slogan and posters and postcards have been placed in takeaways and taxi ranks.

The postcards encourage young people to keep with their friends on a night out, not to drink to much and to go to taxi ranks to get home. The condom packaging also features advice on personal safety and safe-sex - plus contact numbers for sexual health and alcohol abuse services.

Oldham's Teenage Pregnancy Partnership is also backing the project and spokesman Sharon West said: "We hope this has encouraged people to think about personal safety and act more responsibly to protect their health."